Dunkin' Donuts plunges west

International chain makes plans to open franchise locations in California.

Dunkin' Donuts plans to open new stores in California next year, including in Glendale and Burbank, and some of the locations may have drive-thrus and operate 24 hours a day.

The chain has more than 15,000 locations throughout the country and internationally, but is just starting to franchise on the West Coast.

So far, Dunkin' Donuts has signed seven franchisees in the state including with Aharon Aminpour, a branding consultant who plans to open 10 storefronts scattered across Glendale, Burbank and the San Fernando Valley.

Aminpour said he's still in the process of scouting locations and would be open to having shops located in strip malls or occupying standalone structures.

Steve Rafferty, senior director of franchising for Dunkin' Donuts, said a typical storefront is about 2,000 to 2,400 square feet.

An element to be considered in the planning process would be to add a level of convenience for people on the go in the morning, he said.

"Our first goal is to have stores with drive-thrus. However, we know that's not always going to be available, so we'll be open to non-drive-thru locations as well," Aminpour said.

Another step toward opening up shop would involve reaching out to local governments about late operating hours.

"If the cities allow, we would be looking at 24-hour locations," Aminpour said.

In Burbank, Wendy's operates 24 hours a day while in Glendale, fast-food restaurants such as Jack in the Box, McDonald's and Subway have locations that are open around the clock.

He added that although Dunkin' Donuts would be new to the area, he's confident that the chain has done well in creating a successful brand.

Rafferty said he acknowledged that the Los Angeles area has no shortage of doughnut shops, but Dunkin' Donuts would still bring something to the table because of its other offerings such as its own brand of coffee, sandwich selection and reputation for family-operated stores.

"Dunkin' Donuts certainly is a global brand, but it's really a collection of individual franchises, many of whom are family-owned just like those doughnut shops in Glendale and Burbank," he said.